Help Stop the Hawaiian Fishing Ban!!

Swanwillow wrote:But we should get used to not having the fish... Someday we won't have ANY.

Yes, if things don't change, in the future we may not have many species of fish, coral, birds, mamals, etc as habitat is destroyed though deforestation, agricultural run off, industrial waste, trash dumping, need I go on... Collection for the aquarium trade has a much smaller effect on the habitat than all of these much larger issues to correct first... Yes regulation will be good to support sustainability and I hope one day we will have captive bred Yellow Tangs. Unfortunately with a total ban this may never happen...

Just my $.02...

A total ban won't hinder us getting much. Off the top of my head, I honestly can't think of a single species we wouldn't get that we cannot also get from another pacific island. Sure, it makes people in Hawaii more money selling them to us than fishing for them, but I also believe they include ALL fishing in the ban. Big + for the environment there all around.

No, its just the aquarium industry being baned in these bills!
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2042
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2002
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2408
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=1780

So, let me jump ship and join your side for a while Swanwillow! Convince me why its better to leave the fish of Hawaii in the sea. And instead take them (the exact same species of fish) from other areas of the Pacific Ocean? This alone makes no sense but convince me even more why we should get them from areas who's fisheries are looking at Hawaii's fisheries as a industry leader in their methods of sustainable collection or way worse, areas who's fisheries that are looking the other way. And let's even give them the benefit of the doubt, and say lack of funds, is why they go out in boats without live wells or roofs for shade, bag the fish and leave them baking in the hot equatorial sun as they dive down for more. Then they bring them to shore and do they put them in their holding facility? Well, if you consider their holding facility laying them out on a gravel road to bake in the sun some more until they can make some shady deal to get rid of them to somebody stateside. Who in turn got them cheap and offers your LFS a deal of a lifetime. Who in turn sells them to you! NOT EVEN CLOSE TO KIDDING!! This does happen and one of the reasons some fish from the pacific come in worse shape than others. Most all come out of the ocean healthy and strong, it's what happens from there. Is this where you would like me to get my fish from for a while? I DON'T THINK SO! Please take the time to read and study some of the info and links on this topic so I don't have to read "A total ban won't hinder us getting much" again.
Thanks-
Matt Haglund

Ha! That's not my side, that's being partially on my side, but arguing it opposite.

Why should they ban it? Honestly, I think what they SHOULD do is vastly different than what they're doing.

What they SHOULD do is a full ban for a PERIOD of time. 5 years or so. Then open it up to LICENSED people who are able to then collect/fish certain amounts of things (like Florida does, I do believe) After 5 years the reefs will be back to sustainable and healthy amounts (relatively speaking. Hawaii has a lot of issues with pollution, even if they won't admit it) compared to what they are now. What they SHOULD do is ban fishing and open up eco-tourism.

Yes, fish from the pacific come in horribly. I won't even start that. But the other thing is, what is someone from Minnesota signing an online petition going to do for the government over there? They'll laugh at us. WE don't elect them. People in Hawaii do. I'm also more realistic and do not believe that Tangs will ever be captive bred, unless its in an ocean. But even then with their big nets, it will be nearly impossible for us to keep the babies inside.

I'd like to know what percentage of fish actually come from Hawaii, compared to the Pacific/Japan/SE US areas. That would be an interesting read for me at least. Sure, you buy your fish from there-but other bigger places don't. I'm honestly willing to be it comes down to 15% from Hawaii, 10% from Florida, 5% Japan, and the other 70% from the pacific islands/Australia.

Ha! That's not my side, that's being partially on my side, but arguing it opposite.

No, I was on your side. A good Scientist never tries to prove their theory right; they try to prove it wrong.

What they SHOULD do is a full ban for a PERIOD of time. 5 years or so. Then open it up to LICENSED people who are able to then collect/fish certain amounts of things (like Florida does, I do believe) After 5 years the reefs will be back to sustainable ...

Well, if that’s how you feel then you should sign it and wait for a bill a little more what you would like to see. There is nothing in there saying it will be opened back up in 5 years or so.

what is someone from Minnesota signing an online petition going to do for the government over there? They'll laugh at us. WE don't elect them. People in Hawaii do.

Most of the people standing behind activist like snorkel Bob and Rene Umberger are from the mainland and the politicians are listening to them!

I'm also more realistic and do not believe that Tangs will ever be captive bred

Don't cut us as a human race short! Matt Pedersen breed and reared the Oxymonacanthus longirostris in a little apartment in Chicago funded out of his own pocket when the rest of the world thought the fish couldn't even be kept alive in captivity! Maybe we never will be able to breed them in captivity naturally, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try and there are other fish that are only found in Hawaii that breeders may be close to breaking thru to getting them captive bread.

The reason I say we won't beable to isn't because 'if theres a will, theres a way'. They need such giant areas, and schools. They seed their eggs above the reef, and let them drift off as plankton. If there's a way to allow them to do that in a hobbiests tank, well, then I'll be wrong.

And if you recall, they are misquoting Bob Fenner up the a$$ >.< Should be attacking and correcting them instead of a single person that doesn't want to sign!